I’ve designed hundreds of events with attendees ranging from 10 to 20,000, and also hired, mentored and trained event staff in the US, Canada and European markets. There are many tips I could give you on experiential event design.

We could start with staying organized; e.g. using project management tools like Trello or Asana to keep cross functional stakeholders accountable, or why it’s important to have a fully articulated communications strategy for each audience that you are inviting. There are a ton of logistics, budgets and spreadsheets involved and everyone has their own tricks for managing those. But the real secret sauce of event design, the trick that I try to teach to my staff, is actually just using your own imagination. That’s it! Your brain back in kindergarten.

Welcome Back to Kindergarten

A key moment that needs your imagination is the site visit. Sometimes you choose the event location and sometimes it is chosen for you. In either case, visiting the venue is the best way to picture the event in your head and imagine how different elements fit together logically: seating, catering, entertainment, experiences, where and how your guests will enter, etc.

If you can’t visit the space itself, you’ll want to compile as many items as possible like photos, layouts, videos to aid your imagination in conjuring up this 3D mental image. Standing in your venue — either mentally or physically — give yourself a walk around the space, while noting your ideas in the venue layout.

Time & Space

I’ve noticed that many event designers stop there. They put everything where they want it, maybe where it’s always gone, and they’re done. However, an event is not a static snapshot but rather an evolving shared experience over time.

That layout is only a first draft of the event, now it’s time to really fire up the imagination and add the fourth dimension of time.

Picture a guest arriving at your event. How did they get there? Did they bring a date or a group? How will check-in flow? Will there be a line, or multiple lines, to get in? Is the entrance well-lit and well-marked? What identification is needed to enter? Is it cold or raining outside? Notice the pain points of the entry process, especially for any VIP guests, and work on solutions to mitigate.

First impressions always count, and these details will be noticed by your guests.

Virtual Reality

Next, step into your event like a virtual reality game. What kind of ambiance greets your guests? Imagine sounds, smells, lights, music, photos. Are they headed for coat check, the bar, the bathroom, seats? Mentally travel through several guests’ possible trajectory during the event. Where might they get confused or lost? Can you add signage or announcements to improve your guests experience? At every stage of the event, you need to imagine their experience, examine potential roadblocks, and set up contingencies.

As Always, It’s in the Details

The bottom line is that delighting your guests comes down to the thoughtful details. The better you can imagine your event before it happens, the better you’ll anticipate your guests needs, and the better your event will actually be!

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